STUDENTS from Kensington and Chelsea posted the best GCSE results in London and were behind only the Isles of Scilly in national league tables published last week.

An outstanding 80 per cent of teenagers achieved five more A* to C grades including English and maths – seven per cent more than in 2011.

Hammersmith and Fulham, and Westminster were also among the best in the country, with the latter coming in sixth, with 70 per cent gaining five A* to C grades, while H&F were 11th with 66 per cent.

The national average was 59 per cent.

However, A-level tables did not make quite as good an impression. Just 40 per cent of Westminster students passed three or more of the exams with A to E grades – the fifth worst in the country.

Hammersmith and Fulham’s success rate was 50 per cent, with Kensington and Chelsea achieving 65 per cent – the fifth best borough in London, and well above the 55.5 per cent national average.

K&C cabinet member for education and libraries, Elizabeth Campbell, praised the borough’s GCSE students, saying: “I am very proud of the standard of education the borough’s schools provide. Our position in these national tables reflects a tremendous amount of hard work by teachers and pupils.”

Outstanding schools in the borough included Cardinal Vaughan (89 per cent), Holland Park (91) and the improving Sion Manning, which rose from 55 per cent in 2011 to 66 last year. Mander Portmand Woodward plunged from 61 to 42 per cent.

In Westminster, the biggest GCSE success story probably came at Westminster Academy, where 75 per cent of pupils passed five or more exams – up from just 17 per cent in 2007.

Principal Smita Bora said: “At first, some members of the local community did not believe it.

“They also didn’t believe our post-16 results for which we have been in the top two best sixth forms in Westminster for the past two years.

“I hope they will now be proud of these achievements which not only reflect the hard work of students, their parents and staff, but also the tremendous support the local community has shown us over the years.”

Other year-on-year rises came at Bales College (55 per cent, up from 33) and Paddington Academy (74, up from 69).

H&F’s performance dipped slightly from 2011, with a fall of six per cent, but there were still some good results, with rises at Fulham Boys College, Fulham Cross and Phoenix High, among others.

Council leader Nicholas Botterill said: “I would like to congratulate all pupils who attend schools in the borough for an exceptional set of examination grades.”